Variation of SELECT * - all columns except those explicitly referenced - sql-server-2008

Is there any way to convert one column and be able to reference all the other columns without naming them explicitly?
Normally I would do this:
SELECT
,[Id]
,[Name]
,CONVERT(VARCHAR(10),[CreateDate], 104) as [CreateDate]
FROM Customers
What I could do in the perfect world would be:
SELECT
*
,CONVERT(VARCHAR(10),[CreateDate], 104) as [CreateDate]
FROM Customers
Where * would mean all columns that are not explicitly stated in the query.
Is there a keyword that enables one to do this or is there some other way? Please keep in mind that it has to be doable in a query - no changing tables, making views, SPs or something else.

There isn't a programmatic way to say "all the columns except this one" unless you wanted to build dynamic SQL from sys.columns based on a list you provide the query (it would be very difficult to derive the list of referenced columns from the query dynamically, especially as you introduce joins, where clauses, etc).
But there is a pretty trivial way to do this without typing them all. Just expand your table in Object Explorer, and drag the "Columns" node onto the query editor window. Now just remove the CreateDate column from the list.

What I like to do to avoid typing a long list of fields is select the table name in the editor and then press alt-f1. That is the same thing than typing "sp_help table". You will get a result set with all the column names of that table. I copy that list into the editor and add the commas.
An easy way to add commas at the end of all the lines by using the search and replace in the editor:
Select only the lines with the column name.
Check "Use" and select "Regular Expressions" from the drop down.
In the "Find What" type $ (Dollar sign means end of the line)
in the "Replace With" type ,
That will add a comma to the end of each selected line.
Another way is to right click on the table in the Object Explorer and click on "select top 1000" option that will create a script for you in another text editor window.

Related

How to make a table on Access using "Count" and Age Range?

I downloaded a record of all the people on the first fleet from this website. http://firstfleet.uow.edu.au/download.html
I downloaded the Excel and imported it into Access. In the document, certain people’s age is not known so they are simply put as -1.
I am trying to make this table but I am struggling.
I’ve tried doing it by creating a table but that was too hard so I decided to create a query instead. I am using “Crosstab” but failing to use it successfully.
When I do try to sub the -1 for unknown:
Messages like this pop up:
How do we add the table in but sub the -1 for unknown while keeping the layout the same? I am hard stuck at a place where I cannot even view how my query looks.
How do I even make the layout the same as the picture shown above?
UPDATE:
Calculate the age groups with Switch() function and use that calculated field for CROSSTAB RowColumn. I renamed the Age field in table from the original import name to shorten the expression.
TRANSFORM Count(Convicts.ID) AS CountOfID
SELECT Switch([Age]=-1,"Unknown",[Age]<15,"10-14",[Age]<20,"15-19",[Age]<25,"20-24",[Age]<30,"25-29",[Age]<35,"30-34",[Age]<40,"35-39",[Age]<45,"40-44",[Age]<50,"45-49",[Age]<60,"50-59",[Age]<100,"60-99") AS AgeGrp
FROM Convicts
GROUP BY Switch([Age]=-1,"Unknown",[Age]<15,"10-14",[Age]<20,"15-19",[Age]<25,"20-24",[Age]<30,"25-29",[Age]<35,"30-34",[Age]<40,"35-39",[Age]<45,"40-44",[Age]<50,"45-49",[Age]<60,"50-59",[Age]<100,"60-99")
PIVOT Convicts.Gender;
The total row is added by clicking the Sigma(Totals) icon on the ribbon when query is in Datasheet view.
A simpler calculation will generate more groups:
TRANSFORM Count(Convicts.ID) AS CountOfID
SELECT Partition([Age],0,100,5) AS AgeGrp
FROM Convicts
GROUP BY Partition([Age],0,100,5)
PIVOT Convicts.Gender;
But a little adjustment to the SELECT clause will get same output as the first:
SELECT IIf([Age]=-1,"Unknown",IIf([Age]<50,Partition([Age],0,50,5),IIf([Age]<60,"50:59","60:99"))) AS AgeGrp
Could add a field in table and use one of those expressions in UPDATE action SQL to add calculated AgeGrp, which would simplify the CROSSTAB and other queries needing that group identifier.

SQL Select Statement Column Selection Based on Checkbox TickMark Access

I would like to select specific columns based on the user checkbox selection.
I can able to achieve it using VBA but is it possible to arrive the fields in SQL itself based on forms checkbox tick status?
Two ideas:
1) create a text box that collects the values of the checkboxes:
= if(checkbox1,"Col1, ","") & if(checkbox2,"Col2, ","") & ...
Create a second one that removes the tailing comma.
Use the content of this second text box to build your SQL string.
2) Solution 1 requires you to hard code the columns in one formula. A more generic way would be to populate a list with the column names of your data source (the table). The changed event of the list would then generate the list of column names for your SQL string.
This solution involves VBA, yes but it's interactive. Guess that's what you're after.

Input mask in Access database

I have a field with a customer ID that should be in the format of C0000000001, where it has a letter at the start and up to 10 numbers after the letter with leading zeros between the letter and the number. I want the users to be able to put in C1 and have the table save C0000000001 or C1234 and have the table save C0000001234.
I want the restriction to be on the hard data in the table. The table should contain the full customer ID but I only want the users to have to enter the C and the number of the customer when entering/searching for customers. I am using Access 2010.
I believe that the first character will always be a C, but either way, it would only be one alpha character if it wasn't.
I understand what you are saying, but the majority of the data (thousands of records) are going to be from another system that stores them that way. Doing it this way limits my margin of error. Otherwise, exports from the other system will need to be manually changed prior to being imported into the database and vice versa.
Searching would only be on existing records that will be saved in the C0000001234 format, but I would like user to be able to omit the leading zeros when entering the search criteria.
This question, combined with your previous question here, suggest to me that you are trying very hard to have the data structure in your Access database exactly match the legacy system from which you receive bulk updates. That may not be necessary, or even desirable.
For example, instead of maintaining the CustomerId as Text(11) (as in the old system) you could store it in your Access database as
CustomerIdPrefix: Text(1), and
CustomerIdNumber: Long Integer or perhaps Decimal if the numeric part really can exceed 2,147,483,647
Your Customers table in Access could also include a calculated field named CustomerId as
[CustomerIdPrefix] & Right("0000000000" & [CustomerIdNumber], 10)
to give you a single 'C0000012345' value for display purposes.
For searching, your form could have a Text Box for the Prefix (default value: 'C') and another text box for the numeric part. The search could then use a condition like
[CustomerIdPrefix] = txtPrefix.Value AND [CustomerIdNumber] = txtNumber.Value
or, if the user wanted to create a Filter on the Form (or Datasheet View) it would probably be sufficient to just filter on the number part.
If you ever needed to feed information back to the legacy system you could just export a query that includes the [CustomerId] calculated field (and omits [CustomerIdPrefix] and [CustomerIdNumber]) and you'd be fine.
My suggestion would be to use forms with associated queries using the FORMAT function.
You do need to clarify where you want this implemented, but I'm going to assume you have a table set up and that you would like to be able to enter/search data from a form.
I'll create one form for input frmAdd. For the input form, I created a query that would run when a button on the form was pressed. Add two text boxes newID and newOther to the forms which are unbounded but which the user can use to enter data. The query will then pull that data and append it to your table in an altered format. Here's the SQL for that query:
INSERT INTO Customers ( [Customer ID], [Other Field] )
SELECT Left([Forms]![frmAdd]![newID].[value],1)
& Format(Right([Forms]![frmAdd]![newID].[value],Len([Forms]![frmAdd]![newID].[value])-1),"0000000000")
AS Expr1, Forms![frmAdd]!newOther AS Expr2
FROM Customers;
I'm not sure exactly what search functionality you're looking for, but this query would pull up the record data matching that of a frmSearch with a textbox search which would have the format C### or whatever entered in:
SELECT Left([Customers].[Customer ID],1) & Replace(LTrim(Replace(Right([Customers].[Customer ID],9),'0',' ')),' ','0')
AS Expr1, Customers.[Other Field]
FROM Customers
WHERE (((Customers.[Customer ID])=Left([Forms]![frmSearch]![search].[value],1)
& Format(Right([Forms]![frmSearch]![search].[value],Len([Forms]![frmSearch]![search].[value])-1),"0000000000")));
Applying the input mask is just a way to ensure that your data is correct. If you feel the need to use one, go to the table in Design View and click on the Data Type box for the customer ID field. Find Input Mask under Field Properties -> General and click it. Then hit go to the toolbar -> Design tab -> Builder. This will walk you through it.
Input mask is not the answer for this. Input mask forces the user to input the data in a certain manner. What you need is some VBA code to run in the AfterUpdate event on a form. There's no way within the table to force the data into this pattern allowing the input method that you've requested.
There may be a more efficient way to do this, but this does the job.
http://pineboxsolutions.com/access/customeriddemo.accdb

How can I display a *foreign* field value in a text box?

How do I bind a text box with a field, which doesn't belong to form's "Record Source" table, through the Design View?
Example: I have "Order.cust_id" (Record Source=Order) and I want to display "Customers.name". I believe it is trivial but I have no experience with MS Access. I tried to use the text box "Control Source" property but no luck.
One method would be to convert the text box to a combo box. Then set the row source to include both the cust_Id and the Customer.Name from the customer table. SQL statement example
Select Cust_ID, Name From Customer
Order By Name;
By setting the number of columns to 2 and the column widths; the first column as zero (i.e. "0;6") then the foreign key would be hidden from the user and the customer name would be displayed.
Note this method does force you to have limit to list set to true.
Also you do end up with a drop down list which may not be what you want.
You can use DlookUp as the control source of a textbox:
=DlookUp("[Name]", "Customer", "ID=" & Cust_ID)
Syntax: What to look up, table name, where statement
The Where statement should follow the rules for Jet SQL, which means that you must use delimiters if the field is text or date format.
Note that Name is a very bad name indeed for anything. I suggest you rename the field immediately before things get worse.
It can be useful to know the error(s).
You could create a new View (e.g. OrdersAndCustomerNames), select all the columns you want to use in the form, then instead of using the Order table as Record Source, you would just switch to OrdersAndCustomerNames. You say you have no experience with MS Access, so I am guessing you are not building anything huge and overly complicated, so I would do it this way. I am quite sure it can be done more elegantly but this will do for now.

Searching Mysql for similar string

People have different ideas of how to search for the same term.
For example Tri-Valley, Trivalley, Tri Valley (and possibly even incorrect spellings)
Currently that search is done like this
SELECT * FROM `table` WHERE `SchoolDistrict` LIKE '%tri valley%';
Is there an easy way to say 'space dash or no space' without writing out three like statements?
It seems like it could easily be done:
SELECT * FROM `table` WHERE `SchoolDistrict` LIKE '%tri%valley%';
But this only works if the initial input is 'tri-valley' or 'tri valley' If the initial input is 'trivalley' I have no idea where to place the % (theoretically that is, actually, I do, as we are only looking at about a dozen different school districts, but I'm looking to solve the larger problem)
You could consider using SOUNDEX, or SOUNDS LIKE if you have a lot of incorrect spellings. If you've got a lot of rows (or even if you don't), it might be wise to store the output of the SOUNDEX in an additional column.
I'd also recommend -- in the interests of accuracy -- introducing a separate table with an authoritative list of school districts, and run a query to find those which aren't in that list.
MySQL has a function called Sounds like.
link text
An alternative here is to recast the problem from search to select, if possible. Instead of letting your users enter free-form text to choose a school district, if you have a set of school districts generate a dropdown (or set of cascading dropdowns if the list is large, say by county, then by school district) and allow the user to select the appropriate one. Use this both for "searching" and for data entry to eliminate non-canonical entries. Obviously this only works when you can enumerate all of the entries.
Alternatively you could allow the user to choose a starts with or contains type search and simply generate the appropriate SQL ('tri%' or '%tri%') based on the selected search type. If the user understands that the search type is starts with or contains, they will likely adjust their search string until it yields the results they need.
The second statement you posted should do the trick:
SELECT * FROM 'table' WHERE 'SchoolDistrict' LIKE '%tri%valley%';
What you should do before you pass the search term into the select statement is to replace all characters and spaces with the % sign. For example,
SearchTerm = SearchTerm.Replace(" ","%");